Retracing their steps

Monday

Worshippers at First United Methodist Church are closer to moving into their downtown facility. In more ways than one.

Rebuilding the church following the April 29, 2007, arson is nearing completion, and congregants may be holding their first service at the 421 Washington St. facility as early as Sunday.

In retracing their steps after being displaced from their house of worship, churchgoers joined their neighbors Sunday at First Congregational Church for what may be a final service outside their own church.

Tim Votaw, who has been active at First United Methodist since 1985, can't wait for the return.

"I'm really excited to get back home," he said while touring the church for the first time since the fire. "It's been a long time, but we'll get used to it again."

The informal tour followed Sunday's First Congregational Church service.

Votaw said it was sad to leave Grace United Methodist after calling it home for about six years. Members of First United Methodist said goodbye to their friends at Grace on Aug. 11.

The Rev. Mike Orthel said that final service included a litany of parting.

"It was very hard to say goodbye to Grace," Orthel said Friday. "They've been our host and our home for almost six years now. ... We've come to love those folks."

He said the churches will continue their relationship, and in fact, they met again Sunday afternoon for an ice cream social to raise funds to purchase socks and underwear for youths in need.

While it was an emotional experience to leave the church, it put worshippers one step closer to moving back to their home church. First United moved in with Grace after spending several weeks worshipping at First Congregational Church following the fire.

Orthel, who was not the pastor with First United at the time, said the Congregational church did not have its own pastor, so the two churches merged services for several weeks until a new leader was named at First Congregational.

Since the church fire was on a Saturday night, members' first service afterwards was at North Hill Park. To complete the circle, churchgoers plan to meet at that same park at 8:15 a.m. on the Sunday they move back into their church for a brief service before the regular 9 a.m. service at the church.

Whether that's this Sunday or the following one is up to city inspectors.

Orthel said the first inspection yielded a checklist of items to complete before the church is ready for occupancy. If workers successfully complete the list this week, the church staff will send emails and make phone calls to let people know the Sunday service will be at 421 Washington St.

In conjunction with moving back, a 12-hour prayer vigil will start at 8 p.m. the Saturday before the first service at the church. The vigil will include at least two people meditating and praying in the sanctuary during the 12 hours.

If moving in can't be completed this week, congregants will be welcome back at First Congregational Church until their church is ready.

"As we look forward to next Sunday, things are still unbelievably a little up in the air," Orthel said during his announcements at Sunday's service.

He said, though, he is "highly optimistic" the Methodists will be in their home church for the first time in more than six years Sunday.

Orthel also offered a "warm thank you" to the First Congregational Church and its pastor, the Rev. Jim Francisco, for inviting the Methodist congregants back as they return to their house of worship.

First looks

Sunday's tour was an opportunity for Congregational members to sate their curiosity about their neighbor. But it also gave worshippers like Votaw a chance to get a first, or updated, look at the new facility.

Votaw said he made a point to not visit the church until it was completed. He said he came in just once, when he saw strangers walking in late in the day. Once Votaw realized they were workers, he walked back out.

He said it was too emotional to come into the church while it was being rebuilt, but he also joked that after worshipping nearly 30 years at the church, he didn't want to micromanage how it came together.

Now that he's gotten his first glimpse, though, Votaw said, "I think they've done a really good job."

He's noticed some changes, including a balcony that now stretches around the church and a more open front platform. While he appreciates the symbolism of retracing the steps, Votaw, who also is the church's custodian and opens the doors each morning, said he'd be just as happy to get back home.

"It's going to feel wonderful. I can't wait to get my key," he said loudly, trying to catch the pastor's ear as Orthel walked by.

The tour also gave Heather Smith a chance to see the downtown landmark. While Smith worships at the Congregational church, she said her grandparents worshipped at First United Methodist and she occasionally joined them at the services.

"I've lived in Burlington for 39 years. I grew up on Third Street. It's (First United is) part of the downtown," she said. "It was missing."

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